English: (Francisco Jose de Caldas and Tenorio, Popayan, 1768 - Bogota, 1816) Colombian geographer and naturalist. Hardly have adequate means of work, "darkness" surrounding America, in his own words, he conducted research and discoveries that surprised men as illustrious as Mutis, and Humboldt, of which he was a friend and companion.

Member of the second generation of Hispanic illustrated, Francisco Jose de Caldas, called "the Wise" showed a child great interest in mathematics, the physical sciences and astronomy. After studying in his homeland, he moved to Santa Fe and graduated as a lawyer just to please his family, he soon returned to Popayan and decided to pursue what interested him most: astronomy, mathematics and the physical sciences.

In 1795 he had to engage in trade of clothes in Quito, La Plata and Timaná, opportunity seized to determine the geographical position of the places he visited and for observation of nature and the customs of different peoples. His basic work team consisted of a barometer, compass and thermometer. When not getting the needed tools built himself: he built a gnomon a sundial and other measuring instruments.

After many experiments he observed that "the temperature of distilled water, boiling is proportional to atmospheric pressure", new physical law that allowed him to measure the heights through new procedures that would be used later by Humboldt, who surprisingly was forgotten in this If the inventor. The so-called hipsómetro, he invented instrument, used to measure the altitude of a place, noting the temperature reached at that site when the water begins to boil.

In 1801 he published the article "The real height of the Cerro de Guadalupe" in the Curious and Commercial Mail. Interested in botany, Caldas was related to the scholar José Celestino Mutis and, through it, with the German Alexander von Humboldt, who was preparing a trip to Quito. The German was surprised at the accuracy of the instruments of Cauca, but rejected his proposal to accompany him on the trip planned by America. After three and a half of study and research in Ecuador years, published in 1804 Caldas Travel Quito to the Pacific Ocean by Malbucho and Journey to the Heart of Barnuevo.

In 1805 he joined as an astronomer at the Royal Botanical Expedition and was appointed director of the Astronomical Observatory of Santa Fe. The Royal Botanical Expedition of 1805 contributed Francisco Jose de Caldas sixteen loads of different materials and volumes two descriptive uses, customs, industry, agriculture, dyes, resources, population, endemic diseases, vices and literature of the area who had traveled from March and December of that year: left Quito north, explored the region between the Chota rivers and Guáitara, the province of Pasto, Popayan to the Quilichao, near Cali in the west and up to the moor Guanacas North, La Plata, Timaná, Neiva and other districts of the Upper Magdalena.

The year 1808 was the most important of his life: he started the weekly publication of the New Kingdom of Granada, later completed with the Memoirs, where he appeared the bulk of his scientific work. In 1810 he married Maria Manuela Barona. With the advent of Independence, Caldas dedicated to the study of military science, as the president Nariño named captain of the Corps of Engineers cosmographers. Then he commissioned the publication of the Almanac of the United Provinces of the New Kingdom of Granada and other missions.

But the war against the Spaniards counted him among their victims. When the city fell into the hands of the royalists, he fled south and took refuge in the family estate of Paispamba, where he was arrested and sent, along with other patriots, to Santa Fe. The first Colombian scientist was sentenced to be shot in the back, running that was applied on 29 October 1816. The President of the trial court said that by his account that "Spain does not need wise"; Spain but later felt ashamed of ignorance and cruelty of his representative and the illustrious Caldas dedicated a marble plaque in the National Library in Madrid.